Burning Memories (Rewriting)
by AmberReneeTodd
Summary: He thought she was dead, always had. He'd loved her when she had been fourteen, him fifteen. And you don't forget your first. He'd been her first love, her first time. It'd never change, what still sparked between them. He could love Emery, but he would always want Danae, and he couldn't help it. But did she still love him?
1. Reunions and Betrayals

_**[It's funny how the people that hurt you the most said they never would]**_

_**Chapter 1…Reunions and Betrayal**_

They brought a little boy into Algita. He was crying, tears streaking across his milky chocolate skin. His marks were dark enough to be seen and Atrians rushed to him. One woman with the same shade of skin named Atari took him in her arms, and he wailed, "Mommy!" She shushed him, her scarred hand brushing away his rough brown hair from his face. His eyes looked at her, swirling with tears inside. Jesypur stood watching before stepping out of his beat up boat.

"Danae!" I rushed to Atari's side. She handed me the child, and I begin to ease his panic. I shushed him, petting his wild curls, telling him it was okay. Others watched as I kissed his forehead and bounced him on my hip. Atari smiled. I smiled in return. Everyone else couldn't contain their peaceful grins as his crying stopped. His bottom lip jutted out and he balled his hands to wipe at his eyes with his fists. I rubbed his back in a soothing gesture, and he sniffled.

"Why would someone send just a child?" Atari questioned Jesypur. His usual blank face, torn up as if caught by wild cats. His mouth barely moved when he replied. "A war is brewing between humans and Atrians." I handed off the young boy. My eyebrows were furrowed. "Do they need assistance?" I asked, unable to hide the desperation.

"You would go back to risk your life?" Atari asked. I looked back. "The world is at stake, it's either us, or them. I will return Grandmother, do not fret," I said with a playful grin. She couldn't keep from rolling her eyes. A small breeze swept her graying brown hair away from her face, her dark brown eyes watching her, becoming serious.

"You will return with them, all of those who wish no war upon them. You will return with our surviving people, promise?" I nodded eagerly, turning to Jesypur. I raised an eyebrow and gestured to the boat with a wave of his arm. I smiled and ran, jumping onto it. He took his time to climb in as well.

"Let's head back to the populated life," I joked. Jesypur couldn't hide the small grin from me. It made me smile wider and close my eyes. I opened them after taking a breath. I looked over the boat's side, brushing my fingers across the surface. The marks wrapping up my arm became an iridescent blue. I smiled once again.

It may not have been home, but I still missed that life, the people inside it. Even the Red Hawks and the Trags.

…

When I stepped out of the brush, I was overwhelmed. Humans, walking the streets. I'd never make it. I'd have to sneak in, and fast. So I set to it, pressing my back against the house walls, hastily creeping along. I didn't remember much of the Sector, only that it was cramped and guarded heavily. I smirked, thinking that it was probably my fault. When I had been little, I had been the biggest trouble maker they'd ever witnessed. They wouldn't be happy at my return, Red Hawks. The Trags would try to recruit me once more.

I'd turn them down once more. I was their favorite. I wasn't on their side, but the leader adored my bravery against the guards. I waltzed out one time, only caught because of the wrist band. I no longer had it. At the memory, I rubbed my wrist as if it had made my escapes more fun. More thrilling.

I finally looked at the fence with barbed wire rimming the top with a corner for entrance and exit. I jogged over, hiding behind a concrete column while the guard passed. Once he was out of sight, I hastily moved inside. Never thought I'd creep in with this much enthusiasm. Once I was in, I felt the building confidence. I was home.

I strutted down the dirt path in between pods and stands. Some froze at the sight of me; some furrowed their eyebrows as if they couldn't piece it together. When I saw four particular people, I should've been the one to freeze. I had always frozen at the sight of Drake and Roman. They always scared me; they would smirk at my frozen figure. At least, Drake did. I never got to see if Roman did before he passed.

But they froze, all of them. Roman, Drake, Sophia, and my old badass friend Teri. They stared, more like gaped, at me. I smirked. "'Sup fellas," I said coolly before breaking through their group and continuing on. I was headed straight for my family inside their small pod, always spending their time together. But someone caught my arm. I yanked, pulling their arm far enough to grab their wrist. I twisted, flipping it so that I pressed their own thumb in between their shoulder blades to realize it was Drake.

"Dammit, Drake. Don't assault me!" I growled. A chuckle from Teri. I smirked and released my hold on him. He rolled his shoulders as if it didn't happen. He looked at me, and a reaction that was familiar came to me. I started to sweat with nerves. He smirked, knowing I was finally remembering him and his taunts.

"Small like a bee—"I cut him off, finishing his phrase he'd made for me. "But has a sting that burns like hell," I grinned lightly. He grinned in reply. I looked at them, and saw smiles all around. But Roman's faltered. His eyebrows furrowed.

"We thought you died from a guard," I winced, rubbing the spot next to one of my hearts. So close, yet it didn't hit. I felt the small line of a scar. I frowned. I looked at them. "Almost." Drake wrapped an arm around my waist. "Welcome back, Little NaeNae," I smacked his bicep. He chuckled at me.

"Now, where's Nox?" Roman winced and everyone looked at the ground, even Drake. My eyebrows furrowed and I bit my lip lightly. Something horrible happened while I was dead to the world. I felt Drake pull away and he stood by Roman, as if willing to comfort him. Sophie and Roman looked the most pained. He'd been injured. Or he'd been killed.

"He died, didn't he?" I whispered. Roman looked up with wet irises. I looked down. "Can I speak with you alone?" he asked abruptly, his voice changed. He was in pain. I nodded slowly and followed him when he headed for his pod. He climbed the stairs, our footsteps in sync.

When I closed the door, he came closer than ever. I wrapped my arms around him, his own arms around me. His face was in the crook of my neck. He sniffled lightly, but I heard it. I rubbed the back of his head as he eased into a comfortable silence. He pulled away slowly. I watched him as he wiped his tears on his sleeve childishly. I smiled sadly.

"Who is she?" he looked up abruptly, panic stricken. But he eased into a laid back pose, leaning back on the counter. He couldn't hide the small twinkle in his eyes at the question. He looked up. It faltered, the twinkle failing and dying out. His jaw became set tight, his eyes stone cold.

"It doesn't matter, she doesn't feel the same way," he said, trying to sound angry. He sounded hurt.

"She's human and she's with another human," I assumed. He sighed. I must've been right. I moved to lean back beside him. I nudged him, making him rock sideways. He nudged me, watching me beneath his eyelids.

"I care about her," he argued. I smiled and he raised an eyebrow at me. "You always seem angry just to defend yourself as if you don't want to be stupid, but you're never smart," I informed. He breathed in as I hugged him at his side. He hugged me in return.

"I thought you were dead," he whispered.

"I was. But I found a place, somewhere safe. At first, I thought it was a dream until I pinched myself," I chuckled carefully. He set his chin on the top of my head. I sighed. "Algita was beautiful, but no one I wanted to see there was actually there," I frowned. Roman hugged me tighter.

"You just have to be the last one to arrive," he said. I smiled.

"You just have to be a man and tell her how you feel. I know you'd prefer hugging her than me," his chest heaved. I hit the spot; I found the chink in his armor.

"I still missed you," he said, as if knowing he wished another girl in his arms would offend me. I knew I wasn't his when he started to sniff around Teri. I wasn't hurt then, I'm not hurt now. He should know that I had expected this, him always falling for someone he shouldn't. Always getting hurt when he was being himself. But I'd rather him be himself and get hurt than pretend and have no one there to lift him up when he falls.

"I missed all of you, even though you'd wish to have a human over me," I joked lightly. He took it as a bitter remark and tightened his hold on me.

"Danae, I could never replace you. You were my first, I think that I'll never get rid of you in my mind," he whispered. I pulled away and glared at him. "You sure as hell better. I do _not _want to be in your mind when you're in love with someone else," I threatened. He frowned, but it eased upward when I grinned lightly.

"I couldn't replace you either, even if I tried. Which I can't, I'm surprised you even put up with me and my rebellious ways," I said, opening my arms wide as I backed away. He followed slowly with a smile. "True, how did I put up with you?" he asked. I grinned like a maniac and bound out the door. I practically leaped down the stairs before bumping into someone. As soon as I pushed on him, he pushed me forcefully back. I landed on my backside, hitting my head on the ground. I groaned and sat up. I saw who it was and my eyes widened.

"Watch where you're—"his eyes widened as well. Then they shifted into a feeling I didn't expect. He hastily pulled me to my feet and into his arms. I could feel his ragged breaths against me, as he whispered, "You're back, you've come back," and I let him hug the breath out of me. I would've done the same if I hadn't frozen. Roman watched with a frown.

"I've missed you," I whispered into his ear when he'd stopped cooing. He'd only hugged me tighter. I buried my face in the curve of his neck, feeling the tears minutes after the poured down. He lifted me up and twirled me around before setting me back down on my feet and letting go to look at me.

His hand automatically cupped my cheek. His eyes were the same evergreen, his lips pursed as he took me in. His brown hair was rumpled, like his clothes. Then I saw it. His mark, my favorite mark on him, was missing. I frowned. He pulled his sleeve down to hide nothing. I moved away from his arms that kept me at distance. He reached for me. I stepped back and Roman moved to my side.

"How did you get your mark removed?" I asked, afraid of the answer. I already knew, I was just hoping he'd say he'd covered it with makeup instead of saying he went to the Trags. But he lowered his head in shame.

"I thought you were dead, they put your face on the wall. I went to them, I wanted revenge. If I had known you were alive, I—"He didn't continue, his sentence trailing off into the unknown. I grit my teeth.

"My death didn't lead you to them. You knew my beliefs. If anything, my death would've driven you to go against their ways all the way. Instead, you join them."

"Danae, I promise you I was just angry. I wanted revenge, and I did realize my mistake. I tried, so hard. But she told me she'd kill me. Vega would've killed me, and I wouldn't have joined you, I would be _dead,"_

"When they go to war, when they push their limits, you'll be killed anyway. You'll be shot by a Red Hawk; you will not survive their world. You knew your boundaries, you knew _my _boundaries. Yet you crossed them without thinking, like a child," I said louder than necessary. Roman was silent. Good, if he'd taken my brother's side, I'd kill him. If he'd taken mine, my brother would be angry.

"I am not a child! I did what I thought was needed to survive!" he retorted. I moved to hit him, but Roman stopped me.

"You're not my brother. My brother wasn't a Trag. He'd never be a Trag. My brother was more against them than I am. You are not my brother, Kale. If you were, you wouldn't have betrayed me, betrayed our parents, and betrayed our people. You will die, and I will sob. But not because you died for me or for our people as Trags say, but because you had to be so _damn stupid _that you had died with Trags. You're not my brother. My brother wouldn't want vengeance; he'd be too busy waiting for me to come home."

"_We are not home!" _he growled.

"Then where is home?!" I yelled. I got the attention of others, but they left me and my brother to argue. Guards headed our direction.

"Home is where we're not locked in, continuously being threatened by human lowlife! Home is where we're not forced to sleep in an area we don't like. Home is where _we're surrounded by those we love_!"

"And you don't love these people!? You don't love me, mom, or dad? You don't love our kind, our little village? Then go into that war, but don't expect me to be waiting for you when you get back! I will not be on their side just because you ask me to be. You can die with our parents thinking you're still an angel, but I refuse to love you and act like nothing is wrong when everything in this whole damn _world _has gone wrong! You can screw Mom and Dad over, but I will not be you're little sister that worships you. You are on your own, Kale." He looked angry, and hurt. Roman touched my arm, and I realized people were staring now, Guards waiting for a fight. I was steaming, and Kale was standing there, almost frozen at my words. I looked around and found their eyes. Their wet cheeks, their familiar faces.

When I had come back, I had wanted them to look at me lovingly; now, they looked at me with disappointment. I seethed. I whipped back around to face him.

"I haven't even been gone for three years and they've already replaced me?" I asked, wanting to sound angry, but I couldn't. I was too hurt from the little girl's face. She was still a baby, but she had the twinkle mine had. They had tried to have another me. I should've been warmed, knowing they'd missed me enough to try and find another me. But I couldn't. I was too cold when I looked back.

"Danae," he whispered, knowing the anger was diminished, replaced with pain. Roman was trying to pull me aside, to get me to breath. But I was stiff. Drake, Teri, and Sofia watched from the sidelines, watching with pity. I felt it.

I was breaking.

"I came back, hoping to be brought back in like I had left for only three hours instead of years. Instead, I was replaced, my brother a Trag, and my world crashing with me beneath the ruins." They all watched with pity now as I fell, Roman catching me as I fell. I trembled in his arms.

A large column of betrayal crushed me beneath its weight and the world blackened around me.


	2. Meeting Emery

_**Chapter 2… Meeting Emery**_

They'd left me alone. Big mistake. I hastily climbed out the window. I fought the dizziness that occurred and pulled my body out the window. I found myself on a balcony. I breathed in the nasty Sector air. I huffed it out and someone climbed out with me. Roman.

"If you're escaping, I'm coming with," he said, his voice guarded. I smiled anyway, taking his wrist. I pressed a pen with a glowing blue tip to the band. I held it for seconds and he watched as I stuffed it in my pocket. I bounced on the balls of my feet before running and leaping onto the roof. It rattled lightly and I waited, checking for any sign of watchers or hearers. Roman jumped right beside me. He gave a breathless laugh.

"Haven't snuck out this way in awhile, Roman?" I asked and he laughed breathlessly once again, looking at me with wide eyes that said I was crazy. "They allowed this in Algita? Or did you do it without permission?" I grinned. "You know my answer, always have," I replied before moving quickly across the roof and preparing to jump onto the next one. Roman caught up.

"We couldn't follow gravity, we had to defy it?" he said with an airy tone. I rolled my eyes before backing up for a running start. I leaped off the edge, landing roughly. Shuffling. I held a hand to stop Roman. I dropped down to press my ear to the metal roof. Shuffling, speaking, but no one shouting or complaining. I stood and gestured for Roman to hurry.

He jumped, and stood beside me. He absently wrapped an arm around my waist, standing a foot ahead of me. I walked away and looked over the edge. We were at the fence; we just had to get past the guard.

"You don't have a wrist band?" he asked, grabbing my wrist. I pulled my hand free lightly and rubbed my wrist. I shook my head and looked up at him underneath my eyelashes. "Is it bad if I actually miss the challenge of turning off my wrist band?" He chuckled at me and I smiled lightly. Then I looked back over the edge. He came closer, looking over as well. My heart sped up and he pulled back unaware. He watched me, as if I were the one to change my mind. I raised an eyebrow at him and he walked closer to me, turning me to the edge, but not moving from behind me.

"Are you jumping first or am I?" he whispered in my ear. I would've shivered at his closeness, but I decided to focus solely at the task at hand. I looked back. "You can go first if you want, or I can go if you're in need of confidence…or someone to catch you at the bottom," I taunted. He grinned before jumping down. He took the blow well, standing without a single grunt of pain. I smiled before following in pursuit. After we stood in the small alley, we headed for the gate.

"Front gate? A little risky," he said concerned. I shook my head with a roll of my eyes. "Since when have you ever doubted my skill to succeed in thrill missions?" I questioned. He frowned, and I strolled forward. I looked around before opening the gate. After I went through, Roman looked around, checking for guards strolling around the corner. I grabbed his arm and pulled him out. He stumbled and we ended up chest against chest. I looked into his bright blue eyes, and he stared back into my caramel brown eyes. Before it could get any further, I turned around and watched for outer guards. He stood there, interpreting my reaction; I could see it in the furrow of his eyebrows and pursed lips.

"Don't think so hard," I whispered, rubbing the spot between his eyebrows where wrinkles formed from furrowing so hard. He watched me closely as I used my thumb to rub them smooth. I let my hand drop slowly and turned around carefully. I looked again, more focused because the first time, I'd been secretly looking at Roman. Bad Danae. I hastily creeped over to a building, Roman following.

"Do you want to go say hi to that girl now, or later?" I asked, looking back at him. He frowned, as if he just then remembered a girl he cared for. Roman sighed. "Now, she'll be sleeping soon," he said after a long, hard argument inside his head. I smiled and said, "Consider it a go' Mission: Late Night Chat," he smiled at my childishness. I had always made him smile when I acted like a kid.

Don't get me wrong, I could be serious. In fact, these moments were quite rare. But he loved my childishness, he'd told me so a long time ago. He hasn't proven it to change since. He always smiled genuine smiles. I had thought that it was a flaw until he told me that I could brighten any day by acting like a kid who knew nothing but rays of sunshine.

"I've missed your lightness, always being care-free even when we could be killed for being out here," there it was again. He always made me blush, heat rushing to my cheeks for proof, when he complimented my childish ways. I should be serious, trying hard to stay in the shadows, yet I waltzed forward, without a care in the world with Roman following quietly. I admired his cautiousness.

Where he was always serious, always trying to be strong, trying to be a leader, I've always proven my destructive trait. It could make me jealous, envious of him for being so good of a leader. My mother had been a great speaker that could persuade anyone with her words before I was born. But after I was born, she focused on me and Kale. I guess she never did well with me. Kale could've been a leader, but he wasn't as good as Roman. Kale wouldn't have gone to the Trag if he were half as good as Roman.

Enough, I need to stop thinking of Kale. I focused on the directions to get to Roman's girlfriend's house, and he seemed eager. Maybe it was, I couldn't read his face when he was ahead of me, taking me to her.

"What's her name?" I asked finally. Roman looked back, smiling. "Emery." I smiled. It was a name for a sweet girl. Roman finally found a sweet one instead of someone like me or Teri. He'd always gone for the heartbreakers, but if she's as sweet as I think, she's an unintentional heartbreaker. Those weren't as bad as Teri. Or me.

"So, do you think she loves you?" I asked. He sighed and shrugged, finally slowing down to walk beside me. "I don't know. She's not like me for you. She's hard to read. One minute she's staring at me like a lovesick puppy, the next she's kissing the human boy," Unintentional. Girls will never be able to help themselves. There are always those who would never do something like fall in love twice, but there are those who can't help it. And also the ones like me, the ones who don't fall in love at all. Teri might be like that, she's seemed to change. Vega must've broken her shell that I had helped her build up. She must've given in to her mother's pleading. Or she was dragged into it by her psychotic mother.

"Roman, it's not her fault if she's feeling mixed emotions for the both of you. She probably wants to be with you, but you push her away or she doesn't want to hurt this human. He's probably going through tough times with family or something and no girl wants to dump someone onto the curb while they're going through something rough," I said. Roman snorted and I pursed my lips with confusion.

"You hit it on the nose, Danae. His parents are the leaders of the Red Hawks," a gasp escaped my mouth. Then he stopped in front of a house, and he shoved his hands into his pockets awkwardly. He looked at me and pulled out a hand to gesture. "Here we are," he said. I nodded, biting my lip. I walked up to the door, and gestured for him to stand behind me. I knocked lightly and we pressed our bodies against the house in case it was someone other than the girl. Someone stuck their head out, a feminine voice asking who was there.

Roman stepped forward, giving a quick look to me that said to stay put for a moment.

"Roman? How did you-" he pulled me out. Her mouth clamped shut. She had brown curls pulled into a side ponytail, her face soft. She looked like she was an innocent little girl. "This is the girl that had saved my life," Roman looked to me. I smiled warmly and held out a hand.

"I'm Danae, I'm the girl who was dead to the world for three years," I said with a smile. Her eyebrows furrowed and she looked at me like I was crazy. A nervous laugh escaped her lips. "She'd escaped to Algita, but came back to help in the war," Roman explained. Relief flooded her face.

"Yeah, Jesypur brought a little boy in and I left with him," Roman looked at me with shock. He whirled to face me, grabbing me by my shoulders. "A little boy?" he asked. I nodded with rutted eyebrows.

"Did he look like Nox at all?" he asked. The girl looked entirely confused, as was I. I shook my head. "He had dark skin, brown hair, if anything; he looked like that woman who tried to combine us alongside Nox, what was her name?"

"Gloria?" My face lit up. I nodded eagerly, my lips pursed momentarily. "Gloria, the one who brought the Atrians to high school," Roman said, his voice was laced with a feeling, almost bitter. The girl watched him, her face confused as if she didn't know him.

"Gloria has a son?" she asked, and Roman winced lightly. Almost too lightly to be seen. I frowned, my mind connecting the dots. Only Atrians could enter Algita, and Gloria was human. I slapped Roman harshly on his shoulder blade and he pitched forward with surprise.

"She doesn't know, does she?" I growled, and she looked at him, as if confused more than ever by whom this guy was in front of her. He bit his lip and ran his hand through his hair nervously. Fidgeting, obviously hiding something from this girl. Something important that she needed to know. I looked at her.

"The boy had crossed a large amount of water, so much water not even an Atrian can swim. A man in a boat named Jesypur came to bring him after being summoned. But, he only takes Atrians across the waters, and into Algita. If he was Gloria's son, and he came to Algita, than it means only one thing," I turned to Roman.

"Who was the one to impregnate a human?" I asked, and he winced again. Someone he knew. I wanted to smack him, but the girl beat me to it. She slapped him, not hard, across his face. Enough to make him look at her. When he did, she held his gaze. Her eyes widened almost instantly and I felt like I was out of the loop for the first time.

"Roman, you should have told someone, anyone, this…this is something you have to tell, it—it," he covered her mouth to stop her from speaking. He spoke in low whispers to her, a scary tone. "I can't, Emery. Not only would people go against my father and I, they'd go against Gloria. I'm not going to ruin her life,"

His father. I snarled and pushed him. "Your father?" I growled. He watched me carefully, and I breathed. I whipped around to the girl. "You speak nothing of me being here, if you speak of this at all. My presence is to be a secret from the humans; I would be targeted instantly by the Red Hawks if they knew. Keep your mouth shut, Emery," I warned in a quiet tone. I left Roman to speak with her alone, turning on my heel to take my leave. I was already down an alley when Roman started to jog up alongside me.

"I didn't know, Danae," he started with a tiresome tone. I clenched my jaw. I held my tongue and started up the fence. Roman followed. "Danae, do not take this out on me. My father didn't tell me, no one told me, I had to figure it out myself," he explained. I loosened a miniscule.

"Roman, I don't blame you," I said after letting him ramble a moment. I sighed, "Nox didn't tell anyone, even you, for a reason. If they'd known, we'd be even less trusted. We'd be murdered by the Red Hawks by now if he'd told them. It was best to leave it between only him and Gloria. You, Teri, Drake, and Sofia get to leave for eight hours or longer each day because of him. It's a start to freeing us from the Sector, we just have to wait out for their trust, or their declaration of war," I said with finality. We landed on our feet inside the sector just as the Curfew alarms rang out. I headed beside Roman to his pod, where he'd invited her to stay considering she wasn't up to sleeping in that house.

"I've missed you," Sofia said, finally giving me a hug since I had arrived. It felt good to relax in her arms, allowing the tension to escape my body. I used my tension slightly to hug her tighter. I said into her ear, "I've missed you too, Sof," I could practically see her smile as she hugged tighter as well.

"Come on, let's go to bed," their mother said, smiling at me. I gave her a small hug as well for allowing me to stay. Roman led me to his room, having an argument in whispers on who was sleeping in his bed. We compromised, Roman sleeping awkwardly behind me. After awhile, he finally moved in and hugged me from behind, fitting his chin in the crook of my neck.

"Goodnight, Danae," I smiled, placing my hands over his.

"Goodnight, Roman,"

_**A/N: Thanks for the follows! Please review; let me know what you think! I honestly love the show without my additions. I just wanted to write this out and see how it would be. But I am rooting for Roman and Emery when it comes to the show. Do not take this fanfic as something I wish would happen, I mean it'd be cool, but I think the series should go without my little details. **_

_**Hope you like the story, and check out my Fiction Press sometime. I'll be getting out something new soon :)**_


	3. School

_**A/N: Btw, I will be taking my own path from here. I will not be writing in the new episode: To Seek A Foe. I will continue on from the last chapter, though. Sorry, but this is my fanfic, and I am taking my own turn and spinning my own curve to it. Thanks!**_

_**Chapter 3…School**_

I woke before Roman, surprisingly. I never woke early, yet I stood in old clothes with his mother, drinking coffee when he'd walked in with bed head and still in his pajamas. He yawned, and Sophia bounced in wearing her new clothes. It was stylish, sophisticated. It fit to her body without sticking to her. She smiled wide at me, leaning cheerfully against the counter. She nodded at the coffee I held, I handed it over. Her mother shot me a fake glare, but it was obvious because she couldn't contain her eye roll.

"Are you going to sneak into school with us?" Sof chirped curiously. I thought it over, realizing that they'd be surrounded by red hawks, guards, and students who would obviously recognize me. It was a risk, but I could sneak in. "Or you could go and ask Gloria to join us," Roman provided smoothly, as if begging me not to try and get myself arrested so quickly. I grinned at him.

"But it's fun to do things the hard way," I said playfully. He grinned in return, but I could sense that he wouldn't allow it. He'd refuse to let me get arrested after being here two days. So I sighed and turned to their mother. "Could I?"

"Ask one of the other girls if you can switch in their place, maybe they'd let you," she shrugged. I shrugged, thinking it over. I looked at Roman, Sof. I waved before jogging to the door and outside into the Sector. I could practically point out the students by their better dressed selves. I went up to a girl with dead straight brown hair with marks along her neck. She furrowed her eyebrows at me. I smiled in a friendly gesture.

"Would you mind if I were to take your place in the integration program?" she looked behind me, and I followed her gaze to a stormy grey bus with guards stomping out in their uniforms. I frowned. They went to school pretty early, every day? This was new. She looked back at me, and I felt my bottom lip jutted out.

"Just for the day, so I can ask if I can join with you still involved," she shrugged. So much shrugging as well. I thanked her and bounced over to Roman. Sof came following, smiling at my energy. I sighed, faying disappointment at the fact I couldn't sneak in. "A girl said I could," I said with a heavy voice. Roman and Sof both rolled their eyes as Drake and Teri strolled up.

"So you're going to come in sight?" Teri asked, grinning knowingly. I nodded coolly and looked back as the guards yelled for them. I mean, for us. I hid behind them, in case they were the kind of guards that memorized faces so that they could catch the hideaways. None, for I got onto the shabby bus easily. I walked behind Roman, who sat in the same seat as Sophia. I slid into the seat opposite theirs, everyone else sitting around me. I kicked my legs onto the seat, my feet dangling off the edge. A guard watched at the front of the bus, staring at me disapprovingly, but not as if he could tell I was a stowaway.

It took about ten minutes to reach the school, where guards made a pass for the Atrians. Red Hawks and disapproving humans who supported them chanted behind them, shouting and screaming at us. I ignored them, getting up first and walking to the front of the bus before it pulled to a stop. The guard narrowed his eyes on me as I waited, staring up at him in his big army boots. He ignored me, not saying a word though. I smirked when the doors opened and we headed out. Roman had found his way behind me.

"Be careful, the humans will know you're not part of the group. Try to stay down and duck your head," he warned. I scoffed. "Roman, I thought you knew me so well, but if you did, you'd know that that's not my thing," Roman sighed angrily. I would've frowned, but I was too caught up with the grabbing hands, reaching for me. One got his sweaty hands on my braid and jerked his hand back, making me yell out. A guard forced him to let go of my hair, and I walked quickly, breathlessly into the building. Roman jogged to catch up.

"I should've warned you about them, they're very…"

"Grabby?" I completed. He nodded with a curve to his lips. I caught gazes, having been first in. I ducked my head low, following Roman. He went to his locker, showing me the girl's, whom I had replaced, locker. I heard Roman say the numbers and I looked back with a raised eyebrow. He shrugged, "I caught the numbers she entered one day. I happened to memorize them," I rose my eyebrow further, but he just entered the code for me with a huff.

I looked at the books stacked neatly side by side on the locker shelf. "First is history," he said, reaching for a book with a globe on the cover. I looked at him. "Human history, or Atrian," I said a little bitterly. I couldn't help but feel something negative for the man who decided to tear at my scalp from my braid that had fallen hairs dangling around my face.

"Both," he answered, his eyes watching me. I nodded once, before closing the locker. I turned to face him. I caught her watching. I grinned at Roman and he frowned. I nudged him a little. "See you two later," I said before she walked up. I walked away catching the shy hello from Emery. I walked slowly, trying to catch Drake heading off for class so I could sneak behind him.

"You're not the usual Atrian," I whirled around to face a human boy. He had blonde hair, spiked in the front. He had blue eyes, his face curving slightly with his grin. I felt my furrowed eyebrows relax and a curve stretched against my lips. I looked around for eavesdroppers, finding none.

"How'd you know?" I said softly. His grin grew. His flirting definitely caught an eye of a brown haired human who looked disheveled, almost as if he hadn't slept. He watched with a clench jaw. I looked down, tucking stray hair behind my ear. He stared at my arm. I looked down at my marks. I pursed my lips.

"First time an Atrian didn't have marks on their face," I let a small chuckle escape. I looked back up. I shrugged. More shrugging, once again. "I'm the odd one out, I guess," he laughed lightly at that. I smiled at his booming laughter even at its softest tone. His teeth was straight aligned, his face had no smile wrinkles, nothing. He was the serious type.

Yet he smiled at me, like a boy with a crush. Strange.

"The odd one out of a bunch of aliens?" he asked, and he waited to grin so he didn't smile when it insulted me. But I surprised myself, grinning. I lifted my shoulders for a minute, "Pretty bad to be the odd one out the odd bunch, huh?" He smiled fully at that. I turned, but looked at him over my shoulder.

"Do you know where history is?" he chuckled before starting in one direction, the book tucked in his arm finally standing out. A globe was on the cover. I smiled and followed him, feeling a burning in my back, so I turned to glance back.

Roman watched me with a gaze unreadable. I watched for a minute before I turned to follow him once again. I felt this guilt somehow, as if interacting with a human distorted my loyalties somehow.

…

It was a free period, so I stood a foot from the pool edge, watching Sophia swim like a fish. Everyone splashed at the surface, but she soundlessly forced her way through the water beneath it. Perks of being an alien, I guess. I felt a presence at my right, so I glanced. Roman stood, watching with a blank facial expression, his eyes on the clear water. But he seemed to focus on someone else, instead of his sister. I looked back, following gaze. It touched the blonde headed boy whose name turned out to be Eric. I frowned.

"He's human, not evil," I told him. Roman seemed to clench his jaw tighter at the remark. He looked at me finally, somehow angry. He looked back, his face screwing into a swirl of mixed emotions that I could only catch a few of. Anger, betrayal, and more anger. Something flashed afterwards, but it disappeared beneath his mask before I could decipher it.

"He was a red hawk, Danae," I frowned. He'd been kind enough to an Atrian breaking rules. If he were a Red Hawk, he wouldn't have even come close to her. He'd have gone straight to Gloria and told of her infractions. But he'd smiled, and led her to history and some other classes as well.

"He _was_," I retorted. He turned on me almost instantly.

"He isn't to be trusted. He could kill you, or Sof, or anyone. Do you not realize that telling him you weren't the Atrian allowed here could've possibly gotten you arrested or punished?" he asked angrily. I turned to him and watched him. I bit my lip, looking down as I spoke. "Roman, I know it's new to you, having another person to protect, but not everyone can be shielded by you. You're only so strong. I can handle myself, even though you think otherwise," he looked down now, and I watched as he sighed and looked at me.

"Danae, I just got you back, if he so much as pushes you, I'll snap," I smiled lightly. I nudged him with my shoulder. "And I'd have your back, okay?" he chuckled at that. His arm eased around me loosely, and I didn't complain. I was too used to it from before I'd "died". I watched Sof while she swum her last lap. But my eyes flashed over to Eric as he paddled, sucking a breath every moment he could. So humanly, if it came down to a war, he'd choose the Red Hawks. He was once part of them, and he says he isn't now, but loyalty still stands. He'd go back if the Trags got out of hand.

Eric wasn't to be trusted, as Roman said. It was too risky, and starting a war would be a horrible way to come back home. So I looked away and forced myself to smile when Sophia patted along her legs before trotting over with a big happy grin on her face. I couldn't help the small sight of Eric pulling himself out of the water breathless in the corner of my eye. He watched us, I could see it.

I ignored it, focusing on Roman and Sof. Roman was talking to her about something, so I just waited for a subject change before speaking. It was about Sof's record, and how much she beat it. She'd broken the record of a human, but now she broke her own records. I congratulated her before excusing myself to head to Gloria's office. I needed to speak with her, and catch myself up.

Yes, she'd probably reject me and my questions. But I had interrogated many for the Trags before, for my friends. So I'd discovered many different techniques of getting humans to divulge secrets or information. I could also do the same to an Atrian.

It wouldn't be the prettiest meeting, but I had to find out where I stand, where the war stands, and how much time we had. I had to figure out the things I couldn't ask Roman, Sophia, Drake, or Teri. So I walked into her office to find her filling out paperwork. I closed the door, locking it. She looked up, a twinkle of fear in her pools of brown. Exactly like the small boy.

"Yes?"

"I need to ask some questions about the past ten years,"

"Why?"

"Because, there's no news updates in Algita,"


	4. Update!

I will be rewriting this. It should be up on my profile in the next few days... I realized this wasn't the best I could and I want to do the best. So, I will be posting the first chapter of the rewrite possibly at the same time this has been posted. So go to my profile and see if it's there, if not, I'll post an update on this with the info on the new version of "Burning Memories"

Thanks:) -ART


	5. UPDATION!

_**THE REWRITE IS IN!**_

Go to my profile and it should be the newest one with a COVER lol. Hope you guys like it, and it will be short at first because I made a Prologue for you! GO! Go read it! Go love it! Bye ha ha

-ART


End file.
